VEGAN VET ADVICE TO MAKE HOMEMADE PLANT-BASED DOG FOOD
It certainly is possible to homecook for your dog, but it does require some commitment and can carry risks of over and under deficiencies if not done correctly. We have included a downloadable chart if you wanted to print it off for your kitchen to remind you of all those important nutrients.
The chart gives you control over your homecooking, but if you wanted further help and the exact amounts to feed your dog (worked out by a german vet nutritionist to be accurate for your dog), then see our Homemade Recipes page.
The Just Be Kind Supplement and Omega 3 Algae oil are added to the COOKED COOLED FOOD and mixed with nutritional yeast, tahini paste or peanut butter and fresh chopped herbs such as basil and oregano with plant-based milk to form a paste (and make it irresistible to your dog). If the supplement powder is heated, it will damage the valuable vitamins and probiotics so best added onto the cooled food once it has been cooked.
SAFE HEALTHY INGREDIENTS TO FEED YOUR DOG
Top protein sources 50% of each meal
LENTILS AND ALFALFA (BEST SPROUTED OR SOAK DRY LENTILS AND SSPLIT PEAS FOR 24 HOURS AND RINSE WELL), RED KIDNEY BEANS, BLACK-EYED BEANS, TOFU, TEMPEH, TEXTURED VEGETABLE PROTEIN, PEAS, CHICKPEAS, PUMPKIN SEED AND HEMP – IN PROTEIN POWDER FORM FOR OPTIMUM ABSORPTION
Top wholegrain sources 20% of each meal
WHOLEWHEAT PASTA, OATS, QUINOA (RINSE WELL BEFORE USE OR IS BITTER), PEARL BARLEY, BROWN RICE, MILLET, POLENTA
Top colourful veg sources 10% of each meal
SWEET POTATO WITHOUT SKIN, ANY SQUASH, SWEDE, CAULIFLOWER, CELERY, PARSNIPS, BEETROOTS, TURNIPS, CARROTS, RED CABBAGE
Top green veg sources 10% of each meal
KALE, BROCCOLI, GREEN BEANS, ASPARAGUS, COURGETTES, SUGAR SNAP PEAS, (SPINACH, BEET GREENS AND SWISS CHARD GOOD BUT IN MODERATION AS HIGH IN OXALATES THAT FORM KIDNEY STONES), CABBAGE, BRUSSEL SPROUTS – (NO ONIONS OR LEEKS AND GARLIC IN SMALL AMOUNTS)
Top fruit sources 5% of each meal
BANANAS, APPLES AND PEARS (NO PIPS), ORANGES, BLUEBERRIES, RASPBERRIES, BLACKBERRIES, MELON – (NO GRAPES OR RAISINS)
Top nut and seed sources 5% of each meal
PURE PEANUT BUTTER, TAHINI PASTE, GROUND PUMPKIN SEEDS (NO MACADAMIA NUTS)
Top Omega 6 sources
SUNFLOWER OIL HAS THE HIGHEST LINOLEIC ACID CONTENT SO FEED 1 TSP/DAY IN THE FOOD FOR A 10KG DOG. OTHER GOOD SOURCES ARE SESAME OIL OR RAPESEED OIL
Top Calcium Sources
COOKED KALE, SWISS CHARD, BEETROOT TOPS, TAHINI PASTE OR ANY OF THE PLANT-BASED MILK ALTERNATIVES
Top Omega 3 source
ALGAE OIL PROVIDES THE BEST SOURCES OF PURE ANTI-INFLAMMATORY EPA AND DHA OMEGA 3 – WHERE FISH GET THEIR OMEGA 3’S FROM. We use a human Omega 3 that has the highest levels of DHA and EPA in our family dog (and we all take it as a family:) – Vegetology Opti 3 Algae oil.
The best bit of it is that dogs LOVE the flavour! It does not taste like fish but smells of the ocean and can only be described as ‘umami’.
Top Vitamin B source
NUTRITIONAL YEAST FLAKES FOR VITAMIN B, ZINC AND PROTEIN. SUPPLEMENT AS SHOWN BELOW
Top Urinary Acidifiers
PLANT-BASED DIETS TEND TO BE ALKALINE-PROMOTING FOODS. IF RECURRENT INFECTIONS IN YOUR DOG, MUST ADD SUPPLEMENTS WITH METHIONINE. ASPARAGUS, PEAS, BROWN RICE, OATS, SOYA AND YEAST ARE ACIDIFYING.
Top Iodine Source
MARINE PHYTOPLANKTON, KELP, NORI SEAWEED, PLAQUE OFF
Top palatability supplement for fussy dogs
TAHINI PASTE, NUTRITIONAL YEAST, PURE PEANUT BUTTER, SESAME OIL, OREGANO OR BASIL TO GIVE A FAMILIAR FLAVOUR
Top supplements to add
TAURINE AND L-CARNITINE NEEDS SUPPLEMENTING AS WELL AS VIT B12, ZINC, IRON, SULPHUR AMINO ACIDS SUCH AS METHIONINE AND CALCIUM AS WELL AS PROBIOTICS FOR A HEALTHY GUT MICROBIOME – JUST BE KIND SUPPLEMENT SUPPLIES ALL OF THESE. VEGETOLOGY OPTI-3 OMEGA 3 CAPSULES MUST ALSO BE GIVEN FOR VALUABLE VIT D3 AND OMEGA 3’s.
How much homemade food should you feed?
AMOUNT OF JUST BE KIND SUPPLEMENT TO ADD TO HOMECOOKED FOOD
INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE
Toy breeds (up to 5kg) 4g/day (5ml or 1 tsp)
Small breeds (5 – 10kg) 8g/day (10ml or 2 tsp)
Medium breeds (10 – 20kg) 10g/day (12.5ml or 2 ½ tsp)
Large Breeds (20 – 40kg) 18g/day (20ml or 4 tsp)
Giant breeds (40+ kg) 28g/day (30ml or 2 tbsp)
Feed the required amount mixed into your dog’s cooled cooked food. THE SUPPLEMENT MUST NOT BE HEATED. Split the required amount equally over each portion if batch cooking. Mix the supplement with the most palatable ‘toppings’ that you know your dog loves such as peanut butter, desiccated coconut, tahini paste, oregano, nutritional yeast and some plant-based milk to form a paste. Your dog will find this nutrient rich ‘icing’ on their homecooked cooled food irresistible!
COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT HOMECOOKING
No questions are too basic or ‘silly’ as some owners have said. These are some questions asked by owners that will hopefully help you –
Why does everything get mashed or blended once it is cooked?
The secret to homecooking a plant-based diet, is to make sure that everything is well cooked and blended. Dogs have shorter digestive tracts than we do and they do not chew their food like we do – some owners describe their dogs as ‘hoovering’ their food! For this reason, by blending everything, it ensures that your dog can get the maximum nutrition from the food.
It is possible to bake most of our recipes which is better for fussier dogs as it gives them something to bite into and it makes the food tastier. See the video below that shows the baking stage –
The Just be Kind supplement must not be added to the cooked or even the hot food as this destroys the valuable vitamins.
Always add the supplement at the end along with the oil and fresh herbs to make a ‘nutrient rich icing’ that you either mix into the cooled cooked food, or add it as a topping or as a filler if making ‘sandwiches’ with the baked food. We advise batch cooking to make it easy and practical for you to feed plant-based homemade long term.
WHAT ABOUT PROTEINS?
Our JUST BE KIND supplement contains all the essential amino acids (and some non-essential ones such as Taurine and Methionine) that are missing in a homemade dog food diet. Follow these feeding instructions when adding the supplement –
Toy breeds (up to 5kg) 2g/day (2.5ml or ½ tsp)
Small breeds (5 – 10kg) 8g/day (10ml or 2 tsp)
Medium breeds (10 – 20kg) 10g/day (12.5ml or 2 ½ tsp)
Large Breeds (20 – 40kg) 18g/day (20ml or 4 tsp)
Giant breeds (40+ kg) 28g/day (30ml or 2 tbsp)
Every weight of dog has a different requirement. You will see that the smaller the dog, the greater the amount of supplement needed as the greater the protein requirement. Smaller dogs have a higher metabolism as well as a much higher surface area relative to their size which means more fur covering that surface area, and fur needs 30% of the protein in a dog’s diet!
Can I mix the dry biscuits with the wet homemade food?
Absolutely and it will make the homemade food last longer. The quantities you are weighing will be the same, but if half the daily ration is made of dry biscuits mixed into the homemade food, it will last twice as long.
We do advise using the top recommended and balanced dry foods – TRY SAMPLES OF THE TOP FOODS.
We sell Solo Vegetal premium dry food as our little family dog loves it so much and is thriving on it.
What is the best Algae oil Omega 3 to use?
We advise using Norsan Algae Oil that complements our JUST BE KIND supplement perfectly! It is human grade and contains the highest and purest form of the essential Omega 3 EPA and Vit D3.
We highly recommend Vegetology Algae Oil capsules that complement the JUST BE KIND Supplement and are very palatable to your dog.
Won't boiling all the food together damage all the nutrients in the vegetables?
We agree that for us to boil all our food together for so long does seem contra-indicated as all the important nutrients may be lost. It is very different in our dogs as they cannot fully absorb the nutrients unless everything is well cooked and carefully mashed or blended.
Dogs do not chew their food as we do, they instinctively gulp their food, so the digestive process only starts in the stomach and intestines. Their intestinal tract is shorter than ours so they need everything already broken down to be able to absorb all the amino acids and nutrients from the food (or you will spot whole seeds or peas coming out the other end!)
Never throw out any remaining water as it is nutrient rich broth and full of proteins that need to be fed to your dog, not go down the plughole!
By adding in the oats, or millet, or polenta to the remaining nutrient rich broth; you ensure that no nutrient rich water gets thrown away – some dogs will even drink the broth quite happily without the addition of the oats. It is worth keeping some broth and freezing it for emergencies as this broth is ideal for any dogs suffering from a tummy bug or recovering from an anaesthetic. The vegetables used are soothing and cleansing to their digestive tract.
What are the best Omega 6 oils to use?
Sunflower oil (or rapeseed oil) has the highest amount of linoleic acid that is essential to our dogs so it is the oil of choice for your dog to obtain their vital Omega 6’s. You can also use sesame oil also for its high Omega 6 content, and dogs find sesame oil particularly palatable!
The dose of Omega 6 oil is 0.5g per kg of dog ie a 5kg dog will need 2.5g oil a day in the food and a 10kg dog will need 5g a day in the food which is 1 tsp a day of oil. If your dog is very lean and you want to increase their weight, they can have up to 1g/kg body weight of oils a day.
